Foldable bootjack



Jan. 3, 1933. R. P. GERFEN 1,893,280

FOLDABLE BOOTJACK Filed July 6,- 1952 Patented Jan. 3, 1933 UNITED STAT Ro'YE r. GER-BEN; or NEWARKQNEW JERSEY rornnnrnroomeox Application filed (my 6,

This invention relates to bootjacks and theprimary object of this invention is to providea bootj ack which may be folded when a front member, a rear member, a pivot pin 1 passing through the ad acent ends of. said members andpivotally connecting the same, a spring supported by said pivot and bearing at opposite ends against said members to normally maintain them in extended position for the pivot.

A still further object of this invention consists in pivotally mounting the leg member between the front and rear members in such a manner that any force appliedto the 'bootj'ack will automatically lock the parts from further movement, thereby obviating the danger of breaking any of the parts and automatically restoring the parts to their normal position when the force has been with drawn.

These and other advantageous objects, which will later appear, are accomplished by the simple and practical construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and exhibited in the accompanying drawing,

forming part hereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a bootjack made in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 represents a top plan view, Fig. 3 represents a bottom plan view, Fig. 4 represents a side elevational view, partly in section, taken on line a-a of Fig. 2, 7 showing the bootjack in position for use, Fig. 5 represents a similar view, taken on line 11-42 of Fig. 2, showing the position assumed by the device when it is inadvertently pushed forward,

Fig. 6 represents a side elevational view of my device in its folded position,

Fig. 7 represents a transverse sectional View taken on line 0-0 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and v Fig. 8 represents an end elevation of the device in its folded position.

1932. Serial no 621,003.

use, and a leg member pivotally supported by v shown in Figs. 1 and 4, by the spiral spring Similar'letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the specification and drawmg.

As shown. in the accompanying drawing, a the improved bootjack consists, essentially, of in the front member 1, provided with a V-shaped opening 2 to receivcthe heel of the boot to be removed, and the rear member, 3, pivotally connected thereto by the pivot pin 4 passing through apertured knuckles 55 integral T6 with the under-surfaces of the inner ends of the members 1 and 3 respectively (see Figs. 3 and The members land 3 are normally maintained extended, in position for use, as m 6 surrounding the pivot 4, the legs 6- of the spring bearing against the members 1- and 3, respectively. The device rests, when in use, onthe leg 7 which is provided with the apertured arms 88'through which the pivotpin 4 passes.

When the device is folded, as shown in Fig. 6, the arms 88 of the leg 7 are received in the oppositely disposed, aligned rooves 99 on the undersurfaces of the abutting ends of the members 1 and 3, respectively, (see Figs. 2 and 3) and the bar 10, connecting the outer ends of the arms 88 is received in opening 2 of the member 1' (see Fig. 8) so that the members 1' and 3 may be snugly folded together with the leg 7 therebetween. The parts are held inthis positlon by any suitable latching.

'means, such, as for instance, the spring cllp 11 carried by the member 3 and designed v to snapover the member 1,as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 8. 7 v

Upon disengaging the spring clip 11 from the member 1, the latter will be ur ed, by the action of the spring 6, outward, until the inner ends ofthe members 1 and 3, respectively, abut, thereby holding the members l and 3 respectively in the position shown in Fig. 4. While the memberl is moving into its extendedposition theleg 7 will move into-the vertical position shown in- Fig. 4.

The upper-ends of the arms 88 of the leg- 7 are received in the recesses 1212" at the inner'end of the member 3 (-see F i'gsa' the shoulder 14 of the front member 1 and thereby prevent the bootj ack from collapsing any further than shown, and upon the releasing of the downward pressure'ion the member 3, the spring 6 will automatically cause the parts to be returned to their proper position as clearly indicated in Fig. i.

To lock the device in its folded position, ll ithe members 1 and 3 are brought together against the action of the springs 6, causing the member 1 to engage with the hook portion 11 of the spring clip 11. 1V hen in this position the leg is located between %the members 1 and 3 with the bar 10, which connects the outer ends of thearms 8 of the leg 7, lying in the t -shaped opening 2 of the member 1 as clearly indicated in Fig. 8 of the drawing. Q. To unlock the parts, it is simply necessary to disengage the hook portion 11 of the spring clip 11 from the member 1,'which will, due to the action of the spring 6, automatically return the parts to their proper 55m operative position. The parts of the device are preferably made of any suitable light metal and cut away to save weight and provided with ribs for reenforcing the members, asclearly shown in Fig. 3. 4Q? The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including many modifications awithout departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

- Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters 0 jPatent, is: .1

1. A foldable bootjack comprising a front member, a rear member, a pivot pinpassing throughthe adjacent ends of said members and pivotally connecting the same, a spring .supported by said pivot and hearing at opposite ends against said members to normally maintain them in extended position for use, and a legme mber carried by the pivot pin.

2. A foldable bootjack comprising a front member, a rear member, a pivot pin passing through the adjacent ends of said members and pivotally connecting the same, and a leg member provided with apertured arms through which the pivot pin passes, the outer 65 ends of said arms being connected by a bar.

3. A foldable bootjack comprising a front memben'a rear member, a pivot pin passing through the adjacent ends of said members and pivotally connecting the same, and a leg member provided with apertured arms through which the pivot pin passes, the outer endsofsaid arms being connected by a bar, said front and rear members being provided, at the undersurfaces of their abutting ends,

with aligned grooves to receive the arms of the'leg' members when the device is closed.

4. A foldable bootjack comprising a front member provided with a slot for the reception of the heel of a boot, a rear member, said front and rear members being provided at their inner ends with interfitting comple mentary knuckles, a pivot pin passing through said knuckles to pivotally connect saidmembers, a spring supported by said pivot pin and bearing at opposite ends against said members to normally maintain them in extended position for use, and a leg member provmled with apertured arms through which the pivot pin passes, the-outer endsof said arms being connected by a bar, said front and rear members being provided at the undersurfaces of their abutting ends with aligned grooves to receive the arms of the leg members when the device is folded, said bar being adaptedto be received in the opening in the front member when the device is folded.

This specification signed this 5th day of July, 1932.

. ROYE P. GERFEN. 

